Pre-surgery exercise and post-operative physical function of people undergoing knee replacement surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Maria A. Peer , Robert Rush, Peter D. Gallacher, Nigel Gleeson
School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, EH21 6UU Edinburgh, United Kingdom. E-mail: mpeer@qmu.ac.uk
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2210
Lay Abstract
People with severe knee osteoarthritis experience less pain, improved ability to do every day activities and better quality of life following knee replacement surgery. Nevertheless they often have reduced muscle strength and balance. We summarised the literature to see whether exercises prior to the operation can reduce post-operative limitations. Studies were included if they provided detail information on the exercises programme (i.e. how often, how strenuous, and how long). Three papers described in sufficient detail the exercise that participants performed: two studies evaluated the effect of strength training and one trial investigated balance training. This review highlights insufficient evidence regarding how much exercise a person needs to perform before a total knee arthroplasty to improve their leg strength and balance.
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